Logan J. Fowler – Video Games Editor
You could call this the age of the superhero film. With DC and Marvel announcing films in the pipeline all the way to 2020 (not even including the X-Men, Spider-Man, or Fantastic Four), it seems that the comic book movie is here to stay for a while.
How do I feel about this? Well, I love comic books. I love the films that are based on them. But I can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by all this. As a Marvel fanboy, I will definitely be checking out more of their material as compared to DC, but there’s no denying the two companies are trying to 1-Up each other. The only way these movies will solidly compete against one another and get butts in the seats is just to be really good solid movies. Good writing, great action, and something different. Let’s be honest, Guardians of the Galaxy was a great time, but it was following Marvel’s Cinematic formula of “There’s this thing, let’s go get it.” The movies can’t be so by the numbers. And origin stories need to be few and far between. Throw us right into the action, but use flashbacks to tell the story of how this person came to be. Despite its ho-hum take financially, The Incredible Hulk did an origin story over the opening credits. I really liked that, it got right into what was going on without wasting time on how said superhero came to be. Methodical ways can be tweaked for the better, so it’s time to take risks.
Speaking of risk taking, both companies are attempting to introduce characters into the movies that are C level, maybe D level at best. I’ve never heard of the Suicide Squad (DC) and I’m sure plenty of people have no idea who Ant-Man (Marvel) is, but they are coming no matter what. Personally, it’s awesome that Marvel is appealing to different races and the opposite gender with the upcoming Black Panther and Captain Marvel, respectfully. These are films I’m curious to see. However, I have to say, even though The Avengers films coming up are going to be awesome, and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 has me curious, Captain America: Civil War really intrigues me the most. I loved Winter Soldier so much; it stands as my favorite film in the MCU. The stakes have been raised and CA: CW could be even better, especially with the storyline contained within. Let’s hope they don’t screw it up, along with everything else they got going for them. DC and Marvel, don’t disappoint. You’ve got a lot of people to please.
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